 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 by Staff Writers Onna, Japan (SPX) Sep 23, 2019
Solar power offers a promising, renewable alternative to fossil fuels. But solar power production is complicated and influenced by ever-changing factors like cloud coverage, the time of day, and even dust particles in the air. Professor Mahesh Bandi of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) has co-developed a novel, standardized way of quantifying and comparing these variations in solar power. His new study, published in Physical Review Applied, may help guide the development and performance of solar photovoltaic farms - systems that harness the sun's energy and convert it to electricity. "We currently have no standard to compare solar photovoltaic power fluctuations because they change depending on where they are measured," said Bandi, who works within OIST's Nonlinear and Non-equilibrium Physics Unit. "Finding that comparative basis is extremely important."
In Flux Scientists can use the power spectrum to quantify the magnitude of fluctuations in the power generated by individual solar plants across the planet. However, there is no standard against which to compare these distinct values across plants because the readings vary based on features like cloud coverage and dust in the air. Just as the gold standard was used to value currency in the 19th and 20th centuries, a standard measurement is necessary to meaningfully assess energy production across plants. To identify such a standard, Bandi and his collaborator, Professor Golan Bel of Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, analyzed the clear-sky index, which quantifies the sun's energy output as electromagnetic waves, without any interference from clouds or dust. The researchers' analysis of clear-sky data from 2009 revealed that this basic solar irradiance followed a pattern that depended on changes in daylight duration from one day to another. Bandi and Bel concluded that measuring the basic solar radiation at a specific location on Earth forms a reliable standard of comparison for the photovoltaic power spectrum at the same location. This is because, even despite the variability of clouds and other sources of noise, geographic location reliably impacts photovoltaic power production. Bandi's next step is to study how sources of noise like passing clouds impacts fluctuations in solar power. Ultimately, he hopes this research can inform engineering and policy to optimize photovoltaic power production. "We have crossed the first barrier in understanding the character of solar photovoltaic fluctuations by finding this gold standard," said Bandi. "We now have a ruler to measure with."
Speed bumps on German road to fight climate change Berlin (AFP) Sept 19, 2019 Germany was an early pioneer in renewable energy and has massively boosted wind and solar power, so why is it bound to miss its self-imposed climate goals for next year? The "Energiewende", or clean energy transition, sometimes described as the biggest national project since reunification three decades ago, has hit a number of speed bumps. Problems have been linked to Germany's ongoing nuclear phase-out, its reliance on dirty coal, local opposition to new infrastructure, and the powerful, state- ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - SpaceDaily. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
